On 7 July 2011, John Doyle, the Auditor General of British Columbia, released an audit examining the post-certification stage of the environmental assessment process, which is conducted in B.C. by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office (EAO). The audit was critical of the effectiveness of the EAO’s oversight and Mr. Doyle concluded very frankly that:

Adequate monitoring and enforcement of certified projects is not occurring and follow-up evaluations are not being conducted [by the EAO]. We also found that information  currently being provided to the public is not sufficient to ensure [public] accountability.

Although not binding, the provincial government has accepted the audit’s six recommendations. We applaud the government for responding positively to the report, and look forward to an improved post-certification process.

The Dene Tha’ First Nation has sought an order from the B.C. Supreme Court declaring that the provincial government breached its constitutional duty to consult with and accommodate the Dene Tha’, when the Ministry of Energy authorized the sale of twenty-one oil and gas parcels within the Dene Tha’s traditional territory in northeastern B.C. in June, 2010. The sale of the parcels has the potential to adversely affect the treaty and Aboriginal rights of the Dene Tha’, which are constitutionally protected under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and include Treaty 8 rights to hunt, fish, and trap within the Treaty territory.